Planter.



PATBNTED AUG. 8, 1905.

C. N. GHOATB.

PLANTER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY11,1904.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES N. CHOATE, OF WINDSOR, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRED E.ATCHISON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

PLANTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

Application filed July 11, 1904. Serial No. 216,106.

To all whom, it may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. CHoArE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vindsor, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Planters, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to hand-planters; and it consists in the peculiarconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as hereinat'tersetforth.

In the drawings, Figure I is a longitudinal section through the planter.Fig. 2 is an enlarged section of a portion of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is asection at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4L is a perspective view of thesliding cut-oil, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hopper andclosing-lid therefor.

The planter comprises a beak A, the jaws of which are respectivelyconnected to the bars B and C, one or both of which are provided withhandlesD. As illustrated in :full lines in Fig. l, the planter isprovided with a single handle; but in dottedoutlines a second handle isshown. The construction ot' the one and two handle devices are otherwisepractically the same.

Secured to the bar B is the hopper C', which, as shown, is in the formof a rectangular box. The bottom of this boX is formed by the plate D',having achannel E formed therein, which, adjacent to the bar B, isapertured at F.

G is a chute connected with the aperture F extending down the bar B to apoint opposite the upper end ot' the beak A. At this point the bar B isapertured at H for the passage of the seed through the chute into thebeak.'

Within the channel E of the bottom D is arranged a sliding cut-ol I.This is formed of the members a and b, which are formed adjustable inrelation to each other and together form the walls of an adjustablepocket c for receiving the seed. The bottom of this pocket is normallyformed by a pivotal plate d, which rests upon the bottom of the channelE. The slide I passes through an aperture in the bar B and is connectedby a pivotal link J with the bar C, the arrangement being Vsuch thatwhen the parts B and C are moved in relation to each other to open orclose the jaws of the beak the slide I will be correspondingly moved nin the channel E.

In the normal position of parts the slide I is in a position where thepocket c is in registration With the aperture F in the channel E, theplate d being dropped downward. In this position the top of the pocket cis closed by a cut-01T K, which is arranged above the slide. When thebar B is moved in relation to the bar C to open the beak A, the link Jwill cause the actuation of the slide I, so as to move it out ofregistration with the aperture F and beyond the cut-0E K into a positionwhere it may receive the seed from the hopper C. This movement causesthe tilting bottom-plate cZto swing up and rest upon the bottom of thechannel E, so that the seed received in the pocket is supported on saidplate. The reverse movement of the bars B and C will cause the slide Ito be returned and in so doing to carry the seed until the bottom-plateCZ drops, whereupon the seed is discharged through the aperture F intothe chute G and from the latter through the aperture H into the beak,the jaws of said beak being closed.

Where the two handles are employed the bars B and C may be readily movedin relation to each other; but with the single handle, as shown in iulllines in Fig. l, the bar B is preferably provided with a foot L, whichbears against the ground and forms an abutment against which the bar Cis pressed. The bars B and C are held separated by the tension of aspring M or where the two-handle construction is employed by the springlV (indicated in dotted lines.) The slide I has se.- cured thereto anagitator N, which engages the slide outside the hopper and passesthrough an aperture inside the hopper, being provided with thedownturned end e. The edge of the agitator' is threaded toform a meansof attachment to the slide I, and this also forms the means ofadjustably clamping the members b and ain relation to each other. Tothis end` the member a is provided with an aperture f, through which thethreaded shank of the agitator N passes. The member b is slotted at gfor engaging with the shank on the agitator N, and a pair ofclamping-nuts /L on said threaded stem serve to clamp the members b anda together.

It frequently happens that the seed varies somewhat in size andoccasionally a seed will become wedged between the walls of the pocket cand the cut-off K. 'Io prevent the breaking of parts in such condition,the cutoff Kis provided with aspring-shank t, which extends outside ofthe hopper and is secured to the bar B. The spring` of this shank ispreferably reinforced by a second spring z', said springs together'being of suflicient tension to hold the cut-off K normally in a positionto close the pocket in the normal position of the slide. When, however,a seed becomes wedged between the walls of the pocket and the cut-od K,the latter will hold so as to permit the full actuation of the slide Iand prevent breaking' of parts.

It is desirable to provide the lid for the hopper C. so as to preventspilling of seed in the movement of the planter. Ordinarily hoppers areprovided with hinged lids; but with such constructions the hinges arefrequently broken o1' the lids are accidentally disengaged. Furthermore,the lids while remaining in engagement are apt to permit the spilling ofthe seed. I have therefore provided a construction of lid, asillustrated at O, which comprises the plate m, forming the closure forthe hopper and the flange n, having the slot 0 therein, which isadjustably clamped to the bar B by the winged nut p. With thisconstruction the lid may be opened and secured in this position by thenut, as illustrated in Fig. 5, or returned to its. closed position andclamped, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that with the arrangement of the planter described theseed is discharged into the shoe and beak during the closing movement ofthe latter. This will result in permitting the operator to inspect theseed in the beak in advance of the planting', whereas in constructionswhich discharge the seed upon the opening of the beak the seed isconcealed from view.

What I claim as my invention is-4 yl. In a planter, in combination withthe beak of a seed-holding hopper supported on the outside of a barextending upward from one of the jaws of said beak and connected withsaid beak by a chute extending downward on the outside of said bar andsliding cut-off in the bottom of said hopper formed in two sections,together constituting the walls of an adjustable seed-receiving pocket,an agitator for the seed within the hopper having a short shank engagingthe two parts of said slide and a clamping-nut on said shank forsecuring the same to said'slide and clamping the two parts of the latterin various positions of adjustment.

2. In a planter, the combination with a beak, of a seed-holding hopperand sliding cut-olf in the bottom of said hopper havinga pocket thereinfor the reception of the seed, and a horizontally and verticallyyielding cut-off plate formed of a right-angled spring reinforced by anauxiliary vertical spring for closing said pocket when said cut-off ismoved into a position for discharging' seed into said beak.

3. In aplanter,the combination with abeak, of a seed-holding hopper andsliding cut-olf in the bottom of said hopper having apocket for thereception of the seed and a plate for closing the upper end of saidpocket inthe discharging position of said cut off and a spring-shankreinforced by an auxiliary spring for holding said plate in normalposition, adapted to yield horizontally and vertically upon the edgingof the seed.

4. In a planter, the combination of a beak,

of a handle-bar to which said beak is secured,

a seed-holding hopper secured to said handle-- bar, and a slidingcut-off in the bottom of said hopper, having apocket therein for thereception of the seed and plate within said hopper for closing saidpocket in the discharged position of said cut-off, said plate extendingthrough said handle-bar, and a spring-shank for said plate secured tosaid handle-bar outside said hopper and reinforced by an auxiliaryspring, said shank permitting a yielding of said plate upon a cloggingof the seed.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES' N.y CHOATE.

Witnesses:

J As. P. BARRY, E. D. AULT.

